This seemed to anger certain Dutch city bike enthusiasts, who, among other things, accused me of never having ridden a Dutch city bike. This was untrue. I most certainly had ridden a Dutch city bike, though admittedly I did so in a Dutch city and not in New York. Furthermore, it was a long time ago, and I must also confess my memory of the experience is not as clear as it could be--due at least in part, no doubt, to the ready availability of the Wednesday substance in that part of the world. So yes, I suppose I should have confessed that I had not ridden a Dutch city bike in New York City while not under the influence of a controlled substance. Still, I was quite comfortable in my assertion that a large, heavy bicycle is in certain ways less than ideal in a city where street space is extremely limited and many people live in small apartments which often can only be reached by either stuffing oneself into a small elevator or else climbing multiple flights of stairs.

So there's the backstory, and eventually this heady, marijuana-scented cloud of controversy blew over--until I received an email from someone at the Electra Bicycle Company, offering me the opportunity to sample their take on the Dutch city bike, the Amsterdam Original 3i:

At this point, I'm sure Dutch city bike enthusiasts all over the world are practically choking on their toast and marmalade. "That's no Dutch city bike! Whither the generator light, skirt guard, and rack?" And yes, I agree that a bike like this without at least a rack is like a mountain bike without knobby tires. What's the point of a baguette-getter without a bread basket? Well, you certainly can get those things from Electra, but you've got to either buy the higher-end Amsterdam, or else purchase them as aftermarket add-ons. Even so, I have a feeling a true Dutch bike enthusiast would look as askance at even a fully-loaded Electra as a hipster would look at a fixed-gear without "true track" geometry. Still, it had the enclosed drivetrain, and the fenders, and the kickstand, and the upright riding position (and, from the looks of it, the tonnage) so I figured I'd take Electra up on it and see how the other half rides.

Electra had the bike sent to a Manhattan bike shop, so I dispatched an accomplice to pick it up, and together we rode to Brooklyn. My accomplice is a woman and is far from the "kamikaze messenger" type, though she is accustomed to riding a bike with drop bars. The Electra fit her well (she's tall) but she found the bike slow and unwieldy, particularly on the bridge. (The Electra was apparently about as good for climbing as the Steampunk 36er, which we encountered that day.) Her immediate conclusion upon reaching Brooklyn was that this was a country-house-get-the-paper bike and not a city bike. Given her feedback, I figured I should ease into the Electra and get to know its easy-going personality first. As such, the first test to which I subjected it was the Weekend Morning Bagel Run.

Part I: Leisure

Firstly, I'll just say that entering an apartment building with an Electra Amsterdam is about as easy as bringing a drunk home. If there are steps, you've got to drag it up them--and trust me, it does not want to go. Then, if you've got a foyer with double doors, you've got to try to hold both of them open at the same time and wrangle the thing through, sometimes employing your feet. Even if a helpful neighbor arrives on the scene, they're powerless to help you, since there's no way past the bike. Then, once inside, it's either more steps, or it's an elevator, and unless you live in a building with a freight elevator this thing will take up most of it. Forget popping the thing up on the rear wheel, which is standard New York City indoor bike-moving procedure. And of course, once you get the drunk inside, you think your work is done, until the drunk collapses on your floor. Similarly, once you roll the Electra into your apartment, you've got to find someplace to put it. You can lean, say, a road bike against your wall and it will sit there nearly flush--plus you can even lean another road bike against that one and it still won't take up that much space. With the Electra, though, I had no option but to just park it in the middle of the living room floor where it actually interfered with the workings of my TV remote.

Anyway, setting out on the Weekend Morning Bagel Run was the same thing, only in reverse. Finally, though, I got the thing out onto the street, and I settled in behind the cockpit--which, I might add, is extremely roomy:

Next, I ran through the three gears of the Nexus hub:

Now, ordinarily when I "slay" a bagel run, I'll palp either my Ironic Orange Julius Bike or my Scattante, neither of which is set up for a particularly aggressive riding position. Still, the difference between those and the Electra was almost shocking. I felt conspicuous, like Madeline Kahn in the sedan chair in "History of the World Part I." But I was also comfortable--that is until circumstances called for any maneuverability or acceleration, or until my route was obstructed in any way. For example, ordinarily I'd pass a double-parked car like the one below without even thinking about it. However, on the Electra it was daunting to slip through even this gaping space:

Still, though, when the coast was clear I was definitely comfortable--until I reached my first incline. As you can see, the bottom bracket is well forward of the saddle, and between that and the upright bars it's almost impossible to stand up while riding the thing. It's like trying to lean forward on the Tilt-A-Whirl, or like trying to get up out of your chair only to have some bully immediately push you back into it. Eventually you realize you've just got to keep the thing in first gear and lean forward. By the time I summited the overpass I was so proud of myself I immortalized the event in pixels:

Here's the Electra from the front:

And here it is from behind:

Eventually, I made it to the bagel place, where I flipped down the kickstand and tethered the Electra to a parking meter:

As I returned to the Electra with my doughy bounty, I reflected that this would be a perfect bagel-getter, if only there were absolutely no hills and it had a rack or a basket in which to carry the bagels. Still, I was enjoying the bike, so I decided to detour through the park on the return trip. It just so happened that this was the day before the Tour of Brooklyn:

Predictably, everyone was in serious training mode:

Almost immediately, I encountered an elite group of riders:

They dropped me. Then, I encountered a slower chase group:

They also dropped me. Finally, I encountered this kid:

I don't mean to brag, but I totally smoked his ass.

Of course, the fact is that this is not a bike designed for speed, and as such to ride it that way is to fail to appreciate it. And I must admit, despite the fact that the bike was not as maneuverable or as suited to going uphill as I'd like, I did find myself relaxing and noticing my surroundings a bit more. For example, had I been riding by Ironic Orange Julius Bike, I'd never have noticed that someone was having a stoop sale:

Alas, if only the Electra came stock with a rack, perhaps I could have swung by and returned home with someone else's dusty crap--though with the Electra now taking up half my living space I wouldn't have had room for it anyway.

After that it was one more time crossing the overpass:

After which I wrestled the Electra back inside and enjoyed my bagels. In all, it was actually a pleasant experience.

Part II: Business

Of course, it's one thing to ride a couple of miles for some bagels in residential Brooklyn on the weekend when traffic is light. It's quite another to commute by bicycle during rush hour into Manhattan. In my opinion, no bike deserves the "city bike" moniker if it can't be employed successfully in this manner. And while I enjoyed my bagel run, I must say that I fully expected that commuting on the Electra would be a frustrating experience, since the bike's main shortcomings (wide and hill-averse) would no doubt be thrown into sharp relief.

The first hill I encountered was in Prospect Park. I was not exactly climbing in the KOM group with the Electra, though I was hanging solidly in the fanny-pack-and-half-shorts group:

Once the hill was behind me, I settled in and decided to exploit the bike's strength, which is being comfortable. And I was comfortable. The front caliper brake together with the coaster brake mean it's always easy to slow down, leaving your hands free for things like texting and rummaging around in your handbag, which is clearly why the coaster brake is the component of choice for bike salmon and Beautiful Godzillas. Things were going well until I encountered my first traffic jam:

On the IOJB, I would have slithered through this effortlessly. However, on the Electra my only option would have been the sidewalk schluff, and there was no way I was going to demean myself to such a degree. Instead, I was forced to sit there behind a person on a vintage scooter wearing a sport jacket, hoodie, ironic chrome skid-lid, and iPod earbuds. This was doing little to improve my mood--that is, until he tried to pass a car service a little while later and got stuck:

Never has the sound of scraping metal sounded so sweet.

Eventually, I got through the traffic jam and came to the next potential trouble spot, the Manhattan Bridge. I knew all too well that this mild incline could be my undoing. As such, I downshifted and resisted the urge to stand. At first, I was passed by a motley assortment of riders on fixed-gears, mountain bikes, BMXes, and old crappy 10-speeds:

But then to my surprise I noticed that I was actually keeping pace:

At this point, I felt I had finally gotten used to the Electra and understood how to ride it. I no longer felt like Madeline Kahn; instead, I felt like, well, Sean Connery in "Finding Forrester." I also couldn't help feeling that pedestrians were reacting differently to me, and not necessarily in a good way. It may very well be my imagination, but generally when jaywalkers step out in front of me without looking and then suddenly notice me, they give a start. On the Electra, though, it seemed like they looked at me, shrugged, and just kept going. This was probably due to the fact that, in my upright position, I looked less like I was going to hit them than like I was going to hug them. Some people might like that, but personally I prefer jaywalkers to have a little more spring in their step when they see me, so if I were going to make a habit of commuting on the Electra I'd probably have to install some knives on the handlebars to make it seem more menacing.

Speaking of making a habit of commuting on the Electra, while it's not something that I'd want to do it was certainly better than I thought it would be. I'd still choose it over the subway, and I was even able to hang with some bike cops. (Though that's obviously nothing to brag about.) Furthermore, while I felt slower on it, I really wasn't. The truth is my commute only took me a little bit more time than it ordinarily does. This speaks to the greater truth that so much about riding "fast" in the city isn't about speed at all; really, it's more about the style of speed. We've all watched someone blow a light on a track bike, only to catch right back up to him two blocks later. On the Electra you're forced to wait where you might otherwise ride, and you're forced to sit when you might otherwise stand, but really for casual riding it all balances out in the end.

Plus, it's apparently a Rapha magnet, since I locked it up at one point and returned to this:

I guess they want to have little designer bike babies.

That said, in New York City a bike does need to be maneuverable, and that doesn't just mean splitting lanes. It also means bringing it inside, or wheeling it between parked cars to lock it up, or even just finding room to lock it up. There are bikes that take fenders and racks that are still relatively light and maneuverable, so in that sense the Electra is far from an ideal New York City bike.

Still, it did manage to win my accomplice over. While she wasn't crazy about her first ride, she subsequently rode it often, became very attached to it, and now wants to keep it:

Of course, this is New York City, so while she wants to keep it, she doesn't know where to keep it. Yes, it turns out that here comfort is in fact a bit of a luxury, and practicality is indeed relative.

what i can't figure out from the pictures is, where's the bottom bracket ? given its relation to the seat tube, it looks about half a foot forward of where it normally is, but i can't see it through the chain guard.

big news day btwn last night's fight at FBF and the cyclist getting charged for slapping the side of the SUV in the bike lane (oh, the driver got out and assaulted him, but never mind that..oh, and he was 60 plus years old)

There is also something comforting about riding a heavy chunk of steel. It makes me feel like the extra weight will keep me going in an accident. And.... I have proof of that concept as well. A couple of weeks ago, we were riding between bars and my friend hit my other friend on a turn. The roadbike went down and the big heavy cruiser just kept on going...

I have to say that I'm just a little bit annoyed. I don't think I've ever read a blog-comments section with so many utterly useless posts. Not just plain stupid, as in the general blog-comment sense, but this place is innundated with so much useless filler. Yeah, dwth, you are so cool (hip?) to be first. And, nods to you too wishiwasmerckx. Good show! Oh, well. I guess I'll stick to just reading the blog, and stay out of the green room where apperantly the giddy groupies gather.

Dutch city bikes are the SUVs of the bike world. They're big and clunky. Riding upright provides better sight lines. They've got weight to throw around in a death metal match. But they're meant for the town not the city.

I'm going to keep my ass on a modified road bike with the same amenities as a dutch bike: rack, fenders, lights, handlebar streamers, etc.

And, no problem getting it up the stairs. It practically caries itself.

While the Snob's first experience with a Dutch city bike was lost in the squid-cloud murk of a loosely controlled substance, perhaps these bikes are engineered to roll with such things. The review is glaringly incomplete with the door to the dilated perspective closed.

Anon 2:38. I feel bad that I had not posted any of my usual banal and tiresome comments before you arrived, yet you seemed to sense my lugubrious thoughts were on the way. Very cool trick. As ant1 suggested it would be nice if you stuck around. You seem like a helluva a guy, and your intuitive sense will blah, blah, blah, blah and someday we'll all be saying "I've know Anon 2:38 for a long time, and he's always been a ... you know, tool and a douchebag blah, blah, blah ...

Snob, didn't you liken the performance of this bike as a "wheelbarrow" in the cop chase?

I haven't been paying too much attention to this whole "Kate & Jon Get A Divorce" reality show, but they mentioned that they get a lot of free crap because they have all those kids and are on TV. Snobby gets lots of free stuff and he ain't even on the tube - nor does he have any kids (that he knows of). I can only imagine the swag he would get if he had his own reality show!

BTW, nice product placement of the Amsterdam Wednesday Weed. Your package is being scanned by UPS as I write this...

I wonder if anyone will ever send anything to snob to review again. I mean, as w/ both this and his perscattante, it's not overtly negative or anything, but I don't know how it could be constructed as "positive" either.

I've long been considering building him up something custom. I'm thinking a brakeless, fixed gear, recumbant w/ aerospokes, tri-ready aerobars, and bar-ends attached endlessly to more bar-ends. I'd like to see if I could get the frame built by Magna, and custom painted by the good folks at Primal Wear.

I always thought the industry made a lot of poor decisions when designing "city-bikes" for commuters. Primarily loading them up with a bunch of cheap heavy extras (front suspension for bike paths?,)the end result being a 37lb. behemoth, a poor handler on the road, and prone to break downs.I can't imagine a Trek Navigator would inspire any enthusiasm in a new cyclist.

The whole reason why they call them 'city bikes' is because they are practical, as in they won't get stolen like any decent bike.

These are huge in Berlin, where they save the concept of high-speed travel for der autobahn.

The main practical advantage is that they are so f-ing heavy and slow, when that fatass in the Escalade cuts you off, you can just jump off and watch the bike do some serious damage, like a low-speed train wreck.

Riding one of these can only be described by the Canadian metaphor, "Moose Rodeo".

(we pronounce it ro-day-o)

BTW: the UN declared today that Canada was the world's #1 supplier for crystal meth and ecstasy. In your face, Bolivia, or , finally a practical application for high-school chemistry.

Oh, Snob. The Dutch would laugh their asses off at your inability to maneuver the Electra bike around the city. Believe me, the Dutch can maneuver their very heavy bikes in most amazing ways. They would also look at you in a most puzzled way for your comment that the city bike is too big to take indoors. Now, granted, the Electra company calls this a Dutch city bike without understanding what a city bike really is in the NL--it is, as Commie Canuck says, a big old beater bike that you can leave outside where it probably won't get stolen and even if it does, you can replace it for a small amount of money. No Dutch person uses a high-end bike for his or her commuter/every day bike. So, their "city bike" is a trash heap they don't need to lug upstairs. A Dutch person would be appalled to have a bike without a rack, however. A "city bike" that doesn't carry anything? Oxymoron.

The other thing to know about the NL is that every house and every apartment building has a place for bike parking. Covered. Enclosed. On the ground floor. That's what happens when you live in bike paradise...

So, the true Dutch city bike IS useful, although this iteration of it might not be the best model. It just cracks me up that you criticize the Dutch city bike because you think it doesn't belong on narrow streets and in small places. You really must not have remembered anything of the NL--it basically IS narrow and small.

You couldn't get the bike through double doors? Really? Maybe you need lessons?

Anon 2:38, you are the first person EVAH to express your annoyance at the podium race, and we all thank you for pointing out to us just how insipid it is. We never would have figured that out on our own.

I was writing about the bike as a New Yorker living in New York City. In New York City most apartment buildings do not have bike parking, covered or otherwise, nor is there such a thing as a bike that can be left outside without getting stolen. As such, I'm sure you'd agree that a New York City city bike needs to be more portable and less space-consuming than a Dutch city bike. This is true regardless of whether that bike is an actual Dutch city bike or a designer iteration of a Dutch city bike, both of which are big and heavy.

bike snob... would you want to review, maybe, an old crappy ten speed with the same care and attention you gave this electra bike? all the way from 'thrift store find' to the 'stuff white people like' feeling you get riding it?

You nailed it. While I love my Rivendell with albatross bars (which probably weighs half as much as the Electra), time and time again I go for the Brompton when dodging the delivery truck parking zone that passes for a bike lane on eighth ave.

Much as I like Dutch bikes, the fundamental flaw for NYC ownership is that over in Holland, these steel beasts are meant to be locked up and left outdoors. No one wants to steal them, because each one is more or less the same as the hundreds of other bikes you'll find in any given Amsterdam neighborhood. But leaving that bike outside overnight in New York is just begging to have it stolen.

Nice review Bike Snob. It sums up the confused, somewhat adolescent feelings of us dandies who ride "Dutch" city bikes rather well. But the emphasis is all wrong; it should be should be "Dutch city" bikes, because you'd be insane to ride one outside of a Dutch city.

I don't live in NL, yet my city is flat as a pancake, fantastically hygenic, has plenty of ground floor space for storing large steel bikes, and the motorists are considerate enough that at least 50% will stop and apologise after hitting you. Needless to say, bikes with knives on the handlebars are the exception rather than the rule here.

I've now switched from commuting on a road bike to a "Dutch city" behemoth about 80% of the time. I am secure in the knowledge that I'll possibly get to work on time, will never again experience that sickening drop in the stomach of realising your bike is not where you locked it, and that the momentum of all that steel will carry my winsome tweed, leather satchel, and I forcefully through the tiniest gaps in traffic.

I finally manage to podium with a reference to Longfellow + Gary Fisher + the mystery feminine accomplice (who must throws like a girl and probably provided ample coverage for Snob during the trip to the Runcible Spoon).

I'm surprised that Electra sent Snobbie the Original 3i, when on their website they also offer a Sport 3i with an aluminum (a.k.a. aluminium) frame. In fact most of the models in that 'Amsterdam' line of bikes have aluminum frames. That would have to shave off a few pounds....

But I have to say, as some have alluded to here: the bottom bracket location on these things is just strange. On some of the models without chainguards, you can clearly see that the BB is at the bottom of the down tube and that the seat tube intersects 3-4 inches behind it, basically into the elongated chain stays. I'm sure this is great for comfort, but probably places over 75% of the rider's weight over the rear axle (as opposed to 60% for the typical road frame) and, as Snobbie described, makes for porcine handling.

I want to apologize for asking you to review an old crappy ten speed. I just had this fantasy of you going and finding one, 'fixing it up' yourself, riding it, etc. If I had any consideration for your perspective, I would have realized this would be an extraordinary pain in the ass for not much payoff.

I don't actually have an old crappy ten speed (that I wouldn't be embarassed for someone else to ride) nor do I live within a thousand miles of NYC. Nor do I have any money. . . so... I shall just forget about my crazy ideas and try to appreciate what I have, for free.

Snob: A love of cheese, a leggy & sporty bike riding accomplice, a heightened appreciation for fenders, and a highly tuned sense of cycling superiority. I think you may indeed BE Dutch. Now I will find you out. I just need to look for all the incredibly long surnames that begin with Van der.... in the Metro area. Or perhaps you have one of those confoundingly short Dutch names like Bos or Boom. Seems there is more than one reason the IOJB is Orange.

At the high end, these things weigh 20 lbs, have Ultegra components and will allow you to smoke/smote anyone's ass. Plus, they are small enough to fit in any Toronto lakefront condominium "from the low $400's."

In regards to the ever present danger of bike theft, I don't know why New Yorkers don't ask their police to set bait bikes and then arrest people who steal them. Seems like some places already do that with cars. Trouble seems to be that "everything" is more important than bike theft to the authorities so we spend our lives hauling around extra pounds of locks and endlessly locking and unlocking. Somehow I bet Singapore does not have much of a bike theft problem. I feel better now.

In 2003, the company introduced a major new design: the Townie. This bike’s innovation was what the company calls “Flat Foot Technology,” now more widely known as the crank forward design. When the rider is sitting on the saddle, his or her feet can still stand flat on the ground, which feels safer and more comfortable for some riders. The design also allows riders to get full extension when they pedal. The design combines aspects of the cruiser frame with some of the geometry of recumbent bikes, moving the pedals forward and the seat back.

The design has won wide acclaim[citation needed] and has enticed many older Americans back onto a bike[citation needed]. The Townie has advantages as a first bike or a re-entry bike for lapsed riders, because it is easy and comfortable to ride, and the “flat foot” design mitigates one fear of many non-cyclists: falling off the bike. [13] "The bike had to be easy to ride and put a smile on your face," Baenziger says. [14]

Other bike companies have introduced bikes with a similar crank forward design. These bikes include Day 6 Comfort Bicycles, the Giant Suede, the Trek Pure, the K2 Big Easy, the Sun Bicycles Ruskin and Rover, and the Rans Fusion. The Raleigh Gruv was and the Cannondale Day Tripper were introduced after the Electra Townie, but as of 2009 are no longer in production.

Good to see your name on the boards again. Things have changed here a bit since 2007.

The comment racing league has really taken off (as noted) and commenter-added-content is through the roof. Snob's posts are way more than the handful of rant-filled paragraphs of vitriolic fury that defined his early work.

The dispatch length has definitely grown. The fury is still there, but the targets are bigger. Besides, how many posts could one guy produce about lining up valve stems with tire labels, the abominations of FFG, or not wheelsucking with strangers?

It's kinda like Bad Brains. Early on, they bashed the hell outta the world 2 minutes at a time. By the time Quickness came out, the clobberings took 4 minutes or better.

gah! BSNYC is clearly a hot blooded hetero male as evidenced by his initial disdain of the dutch bike and the fact that for no reason mentions that his accomplice is female (and in spite of his observational spidey sense of bike culture).

BSNYC can I be your other female accomplice?! I am crushing on you so freaking bad!

in Amsterdam they call them "junkie bikes" because everyone goes down to the Centraal Station and buys them from an addict for 15 euros. But as my cousin who grew up there says, you don't buy it, you just rent it until it gets stolen again and then you get another one.

Dude, a wheelbarrow without a barrow is just a wheel. The rack on a Dutch Bike isn't for carrying bagels, it's for carrying your accomplice. The basket and/or shoulder bag is for carrying bagels.

And last: only an American would complain that a bike doesn't come with a basket (forcing you to pick out one you personally like), but likely sees no problem with buying a bike that doesn't come with a saddle or pedals.

On the other hand we all know that Snobby choosing to test an American suburban cruiser in Dutch Window makeup as if it ACTUALLY WERE a Dutch City Bike is a bit of Snobalicious humour; don't we?

This kind of bike is actually fairly common in Japan (where I am) except that people rarely ride them to work - they keep them in their neighborhood, riding them to their local train station and in the area.

Then again, most people here live in houses, or live in buildings with bike parking.

What's the big deal about having to stop when the traffic stops? Crowding in between cars in stalled out traffic doesn't really make you go much faster. It's a little undignified.

You missed the best part of this kind of bike. It's for when the temps are in the teens and the road is all wet from the salt. Just put on your regular coat and clothes. No special shoes. Very easy to ride in weather that keeps most people off bikes.

The term “city bike” is vague and entirely without meaning until put into context in relation to a particular city, as well as one’s interaction with that city. Would I have owned an Elektra Amsterdam Original during the (10) years during which I lived in Brooklyn and commuted through Manhattan? Absolutely not. Would I own one now that I live in Chicago, across from the lake and a park, and now that my total daily commute is approximately (2) miles? Yes, and I do, and the bike is absolutely suitable for such circumstances. In any event, this article is utterly painful, at best, and Bike Snob could have responded to the Dutch bike enthusiasts’ criticisms in no more than a paragraph or two. The commentary reads like a total Duh! moment (distinguish from Oprah’s Ah ha! Moment), and is the equivalent of critiquing a racing bike’s performance on off road paths. Boooo! for wasting so much time on the glaringly obvious.

Oh my GOD, laughing out lout could use (OMG LOL)but really I am a rare and precious thing, a bike virgin.I woke up yesterday and looked on craigslist thinking my unemployed cooped up ass could use some mobility and thought I would buy a bike for fifty bucks.So as i peruse I realize okay maybe more like $150 buck, and there was this post about how great Lit Fuse Cycle in Bedsuty was that I decided in 100 degree weather to walk the 20 minutes without my bike and take a look. It was okay, saw some ugly bike for 180 and another streamilne one for 450, and said, do people sometimes buy bikes based on look too? He went on to pontificate about the realation between bikes and sneakers, and fashion sneakers, and confirmed yes that is a factor in selecting a bike. (Mind you I haven't ridden a bike since my mom gave me a deep metallic blue mountain bike 10 years ago that "disappeared" the night my heroin inclined roommate forgot to lock the gate in San Fran, I think I rode it twice.But anyway determined in the heat I called a friend who has 6 bikes that he keeps stationed throughout Manhattan so he can ride them as need be, where to go and he suggested Mike on Park and Adelphi (yes BK) and raved, so in I go and behold I see the perfect bike. Its black with a tan seat and tan leather handle grips, plus it has a light, and it would go perfectly with my European husband, I ask how much he says $600, I don't flinch I'm ready for a ride, a few adjustments of the seats, and a spin, I am a Euro Gazelle, ready for baguettes and picking up rose on Fulton right in front of cafe Habana on a Saturday at prime time, and spins to the promenade in the Heights on a Wednesday for no reason but to write. Its 24 hours later and I am learning its an Electra, and Amsterdam Electra Classic 3i. After reading this post, and roaring laughing while having my cherry popped, I will be there tomorrow to take my bike home-cash in hand for a good haggle. Although I need a basket and a lock too, will have to bring a little extra.See you on the road, can't wait.

Oh my GOD, laughing out lout could use (OMG LOL)but really I am a rare and precious thing, a bike virgin.I woke up yesterday and looked on craigslist thinking my unemployed cooped up ass could use some mobility and thought I would buy a bike for fifty bucks.So as i peruse I realize okay maybe more like $150 buck, and there was this post about how great Lit Fuse Cycle in Bedsuty was that I decided in 100 degree weather to walk the 20 minutes without my bike and take a look. It was okay, saw some ugly bike for 180 and another streamilne one for 450, and said, do people sometimes buy bikes based on look too? He went on to pontificate about the realation between bikes and sneakers, and fashion sneakers, and confirmed yes that is a factor in selecting a bike. (Mind you I haven't ridden a bike since my mom gave me a deep metallic blue mountain bike 10 years ago that "disappeared" the night my heroin inclined roommate forgot to lock the gate in San Fran, I think I rode it twice.But anyway determined in the heat I called a friend who has 6 bikes that he keeps stationed throughout Manhattan so he can ride them as need be, where to go and he suggested Mike on Park and Adelphi (yes BK) and raved, so in I go and behold I see the perfect bike. Its black with a tan seat and tan leather handle grips, plus it has a light, and it would go perfectly with my European husband, I ask how much he says $600, I don't flinch I'm ready for a ride, a few adjustments of the seats, and a spin, I am a Euro Gazelle, ready for baguettes and picking up rose on Fulton right in front of cafe Habana on a Saturday at prime time, and spins to the promenade in the Heights on a Wednesday for no reason but to write. Its 24 hours later and I am learning its an Electra, and Amsterdam Electra Classic 3i. After reading this post, and roaring laughing while having my cherry popped, I will be there tomorrow to take my bike home-cash in hand for a good haggle. Although I need a basket and a lock too, will have to bring a little extra.See you on the road, can't wait.

I got that bike today and it's awesome.You need to get in shape to get used to climbing with it.If 3 gears is not enough for you, then your ass is to big for biking around New York.Less bagels more pedaling.

While shopping for an Electra Townie for my girlfriend in my home town of Santa Cruz, California, I came across an Electra Amsterdam 'Sport' 9-speed derailleur model at an exceptional sale price. With no plans to buy another bike for myself, I was just curious and took it for a spin. I was surprisingly delighted! For pleasure rides across our beautiful coastal town to kill an hour or two, it was so perfect in many ways. The position is quite upright which lets me easily take in the scenery and look beautiful girls straight in the eyes rather than staring at the asphalt - yet the forward bottom bracket increases your pedaling leverage. It effectively takes the more efficient back and leg angles of a racier bike, and rotates you up and back. Your pedaling efficiency is therefore improved over a typical upright Dutch city bike, yet with all the benefits of a more upright position. It is also easier on my hip, where I have limited range-of-motion due to arthritis.

This sport model I have has an aluminum frame instead of steel, and much lighter aluminum handlebars and seatpost. The 9 speed derailleur setup is lighter than the 3 speed internal hub as well. Overall, it's a surprisingly light bike! Easily lifted and carried up stairs. Also, I dumped the kickstand and the fenders until I might be riding in the rain.

I did have issues with the gearing, which was a 13-25T with a 44T single chainring. It was a bitch on moderate hills. I ended up putting some bucks into swapping out the front ring for a 39T, the rear for an 11-34T, and had to switch to a wide range derailleur (Shimano XT). It was worth it though, and the gearing now will get me up most any hill I'll encounter on my city and pleasure rides.

I recently changed the handlebars from fully swept back, which gave me very little upper body leverage, to a somewhat narrower bar angled back about 30 or so degrees. It works nice, and it lets me pick up more speed with very little additional effort. For me, it is now a nearly perfect city/pleasure bike, and much more enjoyable than riding my mountain bike (a pre-Trek Klein Pulse) around town.

This Amsterdam 'Sport' model apparently has been recently discontinued, and you'll need to go with the Amsterdam Royal 8i model to get the aluminum frame. It has an internal 8 speed with a wider gear range than mine came with, plus some more 'Euro' accessories like full chainguard, rack, and some other stuff like a light system. You might still be able to find the Sport for sale at a cheap price. Check the internet for deals. Electra pressures its dealers not to discount or sell online, except when a model is discontinued or from a previous model year.

If you are looking for a great city bike and pleasure cruiser, I would highly recommend this aluminum model.

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Despite your dislike for this style bike, it highlighted good reasons for me to get a dutch bike. I'm in the suburbs on mostly flat land and have small children following me on the sidewalks on their bikes. I'm not going anywhere fast and I need to stay upright to see what they're up to. I should be able to lock it up in my carport.

I might end up looking like a dork with baskets and skirt guard. But at the speed I'm going with my kids, sitting bent over on a racing seat is really uncomfortable.

Oh my goodness did i LAUGH at your article "taking a drunk home"!! I have an electra 3i mens with the lot - rear wheel sheild, rack and lights. Its a proper dutchie - but a behemoth. In our building wheeling bikes thru lobby is strictly verboten- so i try to do it quietly - but with the electra i make such a scene - trying to hold doors open, getting the bike thru UGH! and im 6ft - its still an effort. glad u felt my pain... ;-) great article!

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My 2013 special order Amsterdam came with a dysfunctional light. Electra told me and the bike shop that they are aware of the lights being defective but there is no precess in place to get me a new one that works. I called their CEO, Skip something or other, and he basically told me to pound sand! I went to file a complaint with the BBB but Electra isn't even accredited by them! They actually have a score of D- with outstanding complaints that were never even addressed! What a bummer that this company doesn't really care about their customers. So disappointing. I also have to note that this ridiculous bike is 50 freaking pounds! I weigh 100 and it's a joke to ride unless you happen to just want to cruise around a rollerskating rink. Pretty but what a waste. :(

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About Me

While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!